Improvement in operating guns and gun-towers



A 4 Sheets-Sheet l. J. B. EADS.

Operating Heavy Ordnance. N0. 38,038. Patented March 31, 1863.

N-l PETERS. PHOTQLITNOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. D O.

4 Sheets-Sheet 2. J. B. EADS.

Operating Heavy Ordnance.

No. 38,o'38`.- Patented-March 31, 1863.

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N.FETERS. PHOTQAurMoGHAPHER, wAS`HxNGToN, D, C,

4 Sheets-Sheet 8. J. B. EADS.

Operating Heavy Ordnance.

No. 38,038. Patented March 31, 1863.

L n Il?" El L N. FERS. FHDTO-LITHOGRAFHER. WASHINGTON. [LGV 1-Shet's-S}1eet 4, J. B. EADS.

Operatingy HeavyOrdnane.' No. 38,038. I v Patented March 31, 1863.

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)l *LY i IINTTnn STATES idaTnNT @Trient V JAMES B. EADS, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSQURI.

IMPROVEMENT IN OPE'RATING GUNS AND GUNTOWERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. dated March 3l, 1863.

To @ZZ 'whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES B. Enns, of the city and county of St. Louis, rand State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful improvements in the construction and operation of shot-proofgun-towers, and the elevating and depressing, the running out and in, and the taking up of the recoil of the gun or guns therein by the use of steam; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure I represents a top plan of a portion of a revolving tower, with two guns arranged therein, together with the steam-cylinder and appliances by which they are worked. Fig. 2 represents a top view of aportion of the revolving tower and the steam-cylinders by which it as well as the guns are to be operated, the guns being removed to better show the mechanism below them. Fig. 3 represents a vertical section through the tower, and showing au elevation of the hoisting steam-cylinder, the guns and gun-frame, and the parts connected therewith, looking toward the breech of the guns. Fig. 4 represents a similar vertical section taken at right angles to the section, Fig. 3, and looking toward the sides of the guns. Figs. 5 and 6 represent detached portions of the tower, gun, steam-cylinder, and the mechanism connected, the former being a horizontal and the latter a vertical section through the gun steam-cylinder-that is to say, the cylinder for running the gun out or into the port, and for takingpthe recoil thereof` when the gun is discharged.

Similar letters of reference, where they occur in the several figures, denote like parts in all cases. 4

I am aware that guns have been raised up from the hold of a vessel by steam to be fired, and lowered again by steam into the hold. I am also aware that a revolving metallic guntower has been used. I do not claim either of these things The object and purpose of my invention are to make the tower in two sections, so that the upper section can drop into or around the lower section, and thus bring the weight below decks, and better trim the vessel for steaming or sailing; and, secondly, to level the gun or guns by steam as they are raised up by l means of a trunnion on the side of the gun,

near their point, and a guide secured to the tower or their equivalents. p

To enable those skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe the saine with reference to the drawings.

Upon a ships bottom or platform, A, is placed a circular rack, B, within which the base C of the tower may turn or work. On

this base Cthe steam-cylinders, guns, and theseveral mechanical appliances for workingthe tower and the guns Vare placed. The steam to lwork the several parts, or to supply the sev eral cylinders, may come from one source, and through one pipe from the boiler or boilers to a point directly under the center of the tower, as at a, where there should be a turning steamjoint, to allow the tower and all its connections to freely turn around without injury to the steam-pipe I), which must be stationary. From the joint at a the steam-pipe c supplies all the steam pipes and cylinders, there being,

vof course, the usual cocks for regulating and directing or for cutting off the steam and which it is unnecessary to describe in detail. The steam-pipe (Z furnishes steam to the cylinders I) through steam-chests of the ordinary kinds, andthe piston-rods c of these cylinders connect with cross-heads f, to which the ends ofthe connecting-rods g are attached, the other ends uniting with a crank, h, on the ends of the shaft i. These shafts i have each a pinion, j, which work into vthe circular stationary rack B, to turn the tower, and as the cylinders are attached to the bed or base G, that carries the tower, they are all turned around by these pinions j when the cylinders are worked. Instead of two cylinders to turn the tower, one only may be used by extending the pinion-shaft clear across the base, and introducing an additional pinion, so that the two working in the circular rack shall both tend to turn the tower in the same direction, which they would not do if both were on the same shaft, and the other cylinder may be dispensed i with, or used for working a fan-blower to ventilate the tower.

The tower I propose to makein two sections, E F, so that the upper one can drop into or around the lower section, and by this means I can let the upper and top-heavy portion of the tower down into the hold, and thus better -.frnove freely and easily. ,M are mounted 4the gun-'carriages O O, each carrying its own gun N, and so that they may trim the vessel for sailing. In the interior of the section E are bolted vertical ribs or supports G, and upon the exterior of the other section, F, are corresponding ribs, G', so arranged that when the section F is raised up and the section E slightly turned, so as to bring its ribs or supports directly under the ribs or supports of the other section, F, andthe section F be lowered, it will be sustained on topv of the ribs G. The slots and set-screws at k, Fig. 2, admit of this movement of the under section, so as to catch and hold the upper section by turning it in one direction, or to allow it to descend telescopic fashion by turning it in an opposite direction; and in addition to the slots and set-screws k'other devices may be used on the ribs themselves or near to them for"s topping"the'partial 5rotation of 'the' lower section at the proper point and makinga rm l,cylinder H, there is a cross-head, L, to which is secured a gun-frame, M, carrying in this case two guns, N N. More or less may be used, but I prefer two. This gun-frame M, as it is raised or lowered by the piston K,is guided in its movements at its four corners, as at m, Figs. 1, 4, and additionally at n, Figs. l-and A3, by guide-rods fixed to the bed, and long sleeves upon the gun-frame to prevent it from vibrating against the tower and to cause it to Upon this gun-frame be moved upon the gun-frame independent of each other and of the gun-frame as follows:

Underneath the gun-frame M are two steam cylinders, l?, one on each thereof, and so that each gun may be worked by its own cylinder. Steam yis introduced to these cylinders from the common supply-pipeby means of the jointed pipes o o and suitable valves and ports connected therewith. The piston-rods p of these cylinders are connected directly with their re- Spective gun-carriage through a projecting arm, q, so that the guns may be run out into their ports by steam or back again when necessary. The steam-cylinders P also take the recoil of their respective guns as follows: The startingbar q has a rod, s, connected to it by one of its ends, the other end being attached to a piv- -oted arm, R, the point of which, when vertical, extends up through the gun-frame M and in close proximity to the path of the gun-carriage. To this lever or arm R is connected, by a rod, t, a pivoted arm, u, having a recess, v, in it. This arm u also projects up through the gun-frame M and in close proximity to the path of the gun-carriage O, so that it, as well as the arm R, may be actuated by a hooked lever, w, that is connected to the gun-carriage. The shaft x, to which the arm R is hung, has upon it a short arm, y, and to this arm the valve-rod z `is attached, so that the arm R,

vwhether it be worked by the startingebar Q or be moved by the arm or lever w on the guncarriage, opens or closes the' respective ports of the cylinder P, as the case may be. The arm or lever w has a rod, c', connected to it, which extends back toward the position or stand of the engineer or gunner, so that in case it should be necessary to run the gun back by steam without ring it, the said arm or lever w may be thrown out of action with regard to the arms R or u, to prevent it from moving the Y Y Vsteamvalve Yas Ythe Vcarriageis run backf.Y

In Figs. 5 and 6 the several parts connected with the gun are shown in the positions they occupy when the gun has been run out of its port by steam to be fired, the steam being behind the piston in the cylinder P, and the valve being in the position shown in Fig. 6. At the moment of the explosion in the-gun, the gun and carriage recoil, and the lever w vbeing against the arm It it moves said arm and the valverod z connected to it, opening the exit-port and allowing the steam to escape from the cylinder. Vhen the gun and its carriage and the lever w connected to the carriagev have receded to near the limit of their recoiling distance, the lever w drops into the recess v of the arm u, and moving said arm, it, through its connecting-rod t, moves the arm R, which works the slide-valve and opens the inlet-port, and the steamv rushing in against the piston checks it as well as the guncarriage and gun, the force and elasticity of the steam both tending to check the recoil. Should the gun and its carriage react or recoil, the lever w moving in a contrary direction and being still in connection with the arm u, or so that it will connect with said arm in passing over it, will shift the valve and allow the steam to opposeit from ther opposite Side. As the cylinders l? I? rise and descend with the guns or gun-frame, their steam-pipes are made with joints to admit of this motion. The exhaust-steam from the cylinders l? may pass to the main exhaust-pipe, J, through similarly-j ointed steam-pipes T T, or through flexible pipes of rubber. As the gun-frame is raised up, the breech of theV guns being the heaviest, their points will be most elevated, and when the guns arrive at the height of the port in the tower a projection or trunn'ion, 2, on the side of the gun near its muzzle comes against a guide-bar, S, connected to the tower or its dome and stopping the point of the gun, while the breech continues 'to rise until it becomes level therewith, or at such elevation as may be desired, so that when run out by the force of the steam it will fairly and accurately enter its port, which may by this arrangement be very small.

If it is desirable to lower the upper section 3&03@ 3 of the tower, it may be done at the same time l thickness ofthe metal in the tower may beinthat the guns are lowered, as follows: Place two or more braces upon the gun-frame, with y their upper ends against the top of gun-tower,

then slightly start up the gun-frame by its engine, which will raise up the upper section oi' the gun-tower sufficient to allow the lower section to be moved enough to allow the ribs or supports of each to pass each other. The upper section, guns, and frame are all then supported upon the column of steam in the cylinder H, and by exhausting that steam the whole may be lowered into the hold of the vessel; and the whole can be raised in a similar manner by letting in the steam, and after the top section is up and its supports properly adjusted under it the gun-frame can be lowered to release the braces, which may then be removed, and the gun-fraine can be raised and lowered at pleasure without disturbing the upper section of the tower, or the upper section of the tower and the guns and gun-frame may be let down and raised up separately, as will be hereinafter described.

rlhat there may always be a supply of steam in the cylinder H to keep the gun-frame and the guns up to the proper and adj usted height, I connect to the slide-valve of the steam-chest I a rod, b', Fig. 3, which extends up to the stand or position ofthe engineer or operator, and by which he may operate said slidevalves. Upon "the cross-head L there is a rack, c, in which a pinion, d, can roll, said pinion being held to the rack and to the crosshead by a stirrup or clip passing around the cross-head. The rod bpassesthrough a guide, e', connected to the pinion-frame, and may be clamped or secured to it by a spring-latch or otherwise, so that if the gun-frame should desccn d the least perceptible distance from want of a supply of steam in the cylinder II it would in dropping carry down the rod b', which in turn would open the inlet-port into the cylinder, causing the piston and its load to rise, and when it had arisen to its proper position the rod would close the inlet-port. Thus the gun-frame may be made the means of holding itself at the adjusted or proper height by supplying steam when required and shutting it off when not required.

W'hen the guns are to be loaded, the gunframe is lowered until the ports U ofthe dome come opposite to the opening V of the same or of the lower section, where their muzzles can be run out to Vbe loaded, or through which openings they may be recharged without running them out.

lThe tower may rest and turn upon frictionrolls or upon greased ways without the rolls. Of its ventilation it is not necessary to speak further than that it is best done by a fanblower or exhauster worked from an engine either in the tower or elsewhere. The necessary peep-holes may also be furnished to enable the operator orl the lookout7 to see the objects at which the guns are to be red. The

creased to any extent, limited only by the power of the engine to move it and the capacity of the vessel to iioat it. y

By disconnecting the piston-rod from its cross-head after the gun-frame and guns have have been lowered into the hold, the upper section of the tower may be lowered and raised by the piston-rod without the guns and their appendages, which together might require more power than would be desirable to have in the cylinder II for working the guns.

On the rod b there may be a collar, f', ad-

j ustable or permanent, against which the guide c might strike should the gun-frame byany accident be let suddenly down, and thus the steam might be let in below the cylinder to catch and hold up the guns and frame.

rllhe guns are leveled by steam in theact of raising them, so as to fairly run out into their ports, their points or muzzles being stopped by their side tripping-pin, 2, coming against the guides S, while the height to which the gun-frame rises may be definitely regulated by the contrivances at c, d', and c and the valve-rod Z1.

The tower may be cylindrical, conical, or dome-shaped, or parts of each, as maybe preferred.

To prevent the piston-heads from striking against the ends ofthe cylinders, should these heavy weights by any accident be suddenly thrust upon the pistons, I propose to so arrange the steam-ports as to prevent all the steam from leaving the cylinder by making them a few inches from the heads of the cylinders.

If one cylinder should not be deemed sufiicient to raise and lower the guns or the guns and tower, two or more may be used on the revolving base of the tower. Ihe cyliuderH may be stationary and the tower revolve around it, and yet accomplish the end it is designed for-viz., raising and lowering the guns and the tower, or both-in which case the cylinder would be connected with the bottom of the vessel; and though I have only described my invention as applied to vessels, yet I can use it in forts or on land fortications. Y

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim is l. Making the gun-tower in sections, so that the top section may be lowered into the hold of the vessel, for the purpose and in the manner substantially as described.

2. Leveling the gun in the tower in the act of raising it by means of the tripping-pin near its point or muzzle and the guide on the tower, so that a very small port may be used, as the" gun must enter it fairly without striking. the sides of the port, substantially as described.

JAS. B. EADS.

Witnesses:

A. B. SroUGHToN, H. W. PRICE. 

